Cup-and-ball toy with finger-ring mount

Abstract

A toy having a ball, a base, and a tether which tethers the ball to the base, where the base has a landing structure and a ring mechanism for removeable attachment of the base to a finger of the player. The landing structure may, for instance, be a cup. Or if the ball has a complementary-dimensioned bore, the ball retaining means may be a spike. The ring mechanism is preferably a pair of straps which may be wrapped around the finger and removably bonded to each other (such as with Velcro®).

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is based on and claims the priority of provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/393,070 filed Sep. 11, 2016 by Daniel John Holzman for “Cup-and-ball toy with finger-ring mount,” which is based on and claims the priority of provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/316,210 filed Mar. 31, 2016 by Daniel Holzman for “Ring having cup and tethered ball.”

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to children's games and toys, more specifically to children's skill games and toys, and still more specifically to a ball-and-cup/ball-and-spike/“kendama” type devices for use for games and toys.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ball-and-cup toys have a ball tethered to a body which has one or more cups. The object of the toy/game is to hold the body and swing the tethered ball so that it lands, and comes to rest, in a cup. In some versions of the toy, the ball has a bore and the body has a receptically-dimensioned spike, and the object of the toy/game is to hold the body and swing the tethered ball so that the ball lands and comes to rest on the spike.

Such toys have been known for at least a few hundred years. In Japan this type of toy is called kendama, and in Spanish speaking countries it is called boliche or balero. The popularity has spread world-wide, and kendama is now one of the most popular skill toys on the market. In the present specification, this genre of toys where a ball is tethered to a base and an object of play is to swing the tethered ball and catch it on some portion of the base will be referred to as kendama. As kendama has grown in popularity, an immense number of tricks and maneuvers have been developed in a variety of categories, including sequential balances, juggles, and catches.

FIG. 10 shows a version of kendama currently marketed by Kendama USA of Atlanta, Ga., Pennsylvania. The toy (900) has a ball (926) which is tethered by a string (922) to a base (930). The base (930) has an elongated handle (910) which is generally the region of the base (930) which is held during play with the toy (900). The toy (900) has a spike (940) protruding at the top along the longitudinal axis of the handle (930). The ball (926) has a bore (not visible in FIG. 10) of a diameter somewhat larger than that of the spike (940) so that the spike (940) may be inserted into the bore, thereby allowing the ball (926) may be caught on the spike (940). The base (930) also has two side cups (926) and (927) and a bottom cup (928). The cups (926), (927), and (928) have different diameters and depths and therefore present a variety of levels of challenge for catching the ball (926).

It should be noted that different designs of the base allow the performance of different tricks and maneuvers, and there is a great value to new designs of the toy that permit new tricks and maneuvers, and especially new designs of the toy that permit new genres of tricks and maneuvers, to be performed.

Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide a kendama toy with a new design.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a kendama with a new geometry of base.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a kendama toy where the base is retained by the operator's hand in a new manner.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a kendama toy where the hand retaining the base is free to grasp objects such as the ball.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a kendama toy which permits new tricks and maneuvers may be performed.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a kendama toy which permits new genres of tricks and maneuvers to be performed.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a kendama toy which permits maneuvers which impress an audience by mystification.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a kendama toy that allows sleight of hand maneuvers to be performed.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a kendama toy which facilitates the learning of the basic kendama moves.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a kendama toy where the cup is located near the user's hand.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a kendama toy with improved responsiveness in the feel of the tethering of the ball.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a kendama toy which is adapted to use for poi-style play.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a kendama toy with light-up components.

More particularly it is another object of the present invention to provide a kendama toy with light-up components which indicate when a trick is accomplished, particularly in a manner that provides a dramatic appearance.

More particularly still it is an object of the present invention to provide a kendama toy with light-up components which indicate when a trick is accomplished in a dramatic fashion by having components go dark or having the glow appear to transfer from one component to another when a trick is accomplished.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims of a non-provisional patent application based on the present provisional patent application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A toy having a ball, a base having a landing structure for seating the ball, a tether which tethers the ball to the base and allows the ball to be swung so as to land on and be seated by the landing structure, and a ring mechanism for securing the base to a finger of a player of the toy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying figures, which are incorporated in and form a part of the present specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a ring-worn toy according to the present invention with the ball resting in the cup.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the toy of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the toy having two cups.

FIG. 4 is a view of the ball along the axis of an expanded polar bore.

FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the toy of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows an alternate embodiment where of the present invention which includes cut-aways in the base platform where the ball may be caught.

FIG. 7 shows the toy of FIG. 6 with the ball seated in a cut-away.

FIG. 8 shows a top view of the toy of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 shows a side view of the toy of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 shows an on-the-market version of the kendama toy.

FIG. 11 shows a free-hand move being performed with the toy of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a ball which has an expanded terminal portion of its throughbore according to the present invention.

FIG. 13A shows the base of the toy of the present invention attached to a standard Kendama toy on its central shaft between the handle and the two cups.

FIG. 13B shows the toy of the present invention attached to a standard Kendama toy on its central shaft between the handle and the two cups unit, but with the ball of the standard Kendama toy detached.

FIG. 13C shows the toy of the present invention attached to the two-cups unit of a standard Kendama toy.

FIG. 14 is a side cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the toy of the present invention where the ball and base include electronics to provide lighting effects.

FIG. 15 is a top view of the ball of the light-up version of the toy of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a top cut-away view of chassis of the light-up version of the toy of FIG. 14, with the cut-away being through the top portion of the chassis surrounding the base of the cup.

FIG. 17 shows hybrid poi-kendama play with an alternate embodiment of the toy of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the toy (8) of the present invention is worn on a user's finger (12). The toy (8) has a chassis (9) which includes two disc-shaped platforms (18) and (20). A cup (24) is mounted on the top surface of the top platform (20). The ball (26), cup (24) and chassis platforms (18) and (20) are made of beech or maple wood. On the bottom surface of the bottom platform (18) is mounted a finger ring (15) or, more generally, a means for mounting the toy (8) on the hand of the user. As shown in the top view of FIG. 2, a bolt (30) is used to secure the cup (24) to the platforms (18) and (20). The ring (15) is preferably attached to the bottom of the bottom platform (18) by gluing or by multiple rivets. It is important that the attachment of the ring (15) to the bottom platform (18) extend to the edges of the bottom platform (18) so that the string (22) cannot lodge between the ring (15) and bottom platform (18) to disrupt play. In particular, any gap between the bottom of the bottom platform (18) and the top of the ring (15) must be less than the diameter of the string (22). According to the preferred embodiment, the string (22) is a nylon, polyester or cotton string with a nominal diameter of 1 mm to 2 mm.

The ring (15) has a first band (14) of flexible material and a second band (16) of flexible material, and the first band (14) is removably attachable to the second band (16) by, for instance, a Velcro®-type bonding where the first band (14) has a surface of small, protruding fastening loops, and the second band (16) has a surface of small, protruding fastening hooks. Preferably, the bands (14) and (16) are made of neoprene. Furthermore, according to the preferred embodiment the bands (14) and (16) are surfaced with a breathable material, such as leather, to provide comfort for extended periods of use. The bands (14) and (16) each have a length of 5 cm, and can be joined to create a ring of a size that fits the user and can be adjusted to provide a snug fit on the user's finger (12). Alternatively, the bands (14) and (16) each have a length of 7.5 cm and so the toy (8) can be used by players with larger fingers or the bands (14) and (16) can be wrapped around more than one finger. The ring (15) may be secured snugly on the user's finger (12) or, alternatively, the ring (15) may be made loose enough that: (i) the toy (8) may be rotated around the finger (12) so, for instance, the cup (24) may be positioned on the palm side of the user's hand, or (ii) the toy (8) may be removed from and relocated on the finger (12) during play.

According to an alternate embodiment, instead of Velcro®-type hook-and-loop materials, the ring (15) can be a stretchable, single loop of material such as neoprene. Or according to another alternate embodiment, the first band (14) of the ring (15) could be made of leather and have a series of holes spaced along its length, and the second band (16) could be made of leather and have one or more hooks or protrusions which may be inserted into the holes so as to secure the bands (14) and (16) in a loop geometry, thereby providing a ring (15) which would be comfortable for periods of extended use. An advantage of these two alternate embodiments is that the bands (14) and (16) have smooth outer surfaces and rounded edges with a radius greater than a radius of the string (22), thereby preventing the string (22) from snagging on the ring (15) in the course of certain maneuvers.

The ball (26) is tethered to the base (9) by a string (22) which passes between the chassis platforms (18) and (20) and is tied to the bolt (30). FIG. 1 shows the ball (26) resting in the cup (24) of the toy (8), and FIG. 2 shows the toy (8) with the ball (26) displaced from the cup (24). As discussed above, play with the toy (8) consists of swinging the ball (26) and positioning the cup (24) such that the ball (26) lands in and comes to rest in, i.e., sits in, the cup (24). It should be noted that the present invention provides the advantage of having the cup (24) located very close to the user's hand. The closeness of the cup (24) to the hand facilitates learning of the basic kendama move of swinging the ball (26) and seating it in the cup (24). An important aspect of the present invention is that the cup (24) of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is deeper relative to the diameter of the ball (26) than traditional kendama toy cups. Preferably, the depth of the cup (24) of the present invention is between 25% and 50% of the diameter of the ball (26), more preferably between 35% and 47% of the diameter of the ball (26), and still more preferably between 40% and 45% of the diameter of the ball (26). The larger the depth of the cup (24) in relation to the diameter of the ball (26), the easier it is to catch the ball (26) in the cup (24).

The ball (26) is large enough that it can be readily seen, caught in the cup (24) (or the cut-aways (119) of the alternate preferred embodiment discussed below) when such moves are properly executed, and readily rolled along or bounced off of the body of the player. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the diameter of the ball (26) is preferably between 3.5 cm and 6 cm, more preferably between 4 cm and 5 cm, and still more preferably roughly 4.5 cm. Furthermore, according to the present invention the weight of the ball (26) should be roughly equal to that of the base (9) to facilitate “freehand” maneuvers where the ring (15) is not secured to the finger (12). FIG. 11 depicts one such freehand maneuver (using the embodiment of the toy shown in FIGS. 6-9 and described in detail below) where the string (122) contacts a finger (12) of the player, and the string (122) is roughly straight as the base (9) and ball (126) orbit around the finger (12). When the ball (126) and base (9) are of roughly the same weight, the point of contact of the finger (12) with the string (122) is roughly the mid-point of the string (122) and free-hand moves are considerably facilitated compared to when the ball (126) and base (9) have substantially different weights. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the weight of the ball (126) and base (9) are within 25% of each other, more preferably with 20% of each other, still more preferably with 15% of each other, still more preferably with 10% of each other, and more preferably still with 5% of each other.

As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 12, the bore (23) in the ball (26) has an initial portion (23a) into which the string (22) enters and has lateral freedom of movement, a narrower intermediate portion (23b) which is slightly larger than the width of the string (22) and smaller than a bead (22b) secured to the end of the string (22) by a knot (22c) at the end of the string (22), and a terminal portion (23c) having a larger width than the initial portion (23a) and the intermediate portion (23b). The initial portion (23a), intermediate portion (23b), and terminal portion (23c) are radially oriented and their central axes are collinear. Since the bead (22b) is wider than the width of the intermediate portion (23b) of the bore (23), the ball (26) is secured to the string (22). For the ball (26) to have an appropriate weight (i.e., rough 20 grams), the terminal portion (23c) of the cylindrical bore (23), which is the portion of the bore (23) with the largest volume, has a diameter of 1.25 cm and a depth of 3.5 cm. Another advantage of the large diameter of the terminal portion (23c) of the bore (23) is that it facilitates another type of landing move where the mouth of the terminal portion (23c) of the bore (23) comes to rest on a corner of a cut-away (119). (The cut-aways (119) are discussed in detail below in reference to FIGS. 6 through 9.) Furthermore, the large diameter of the terminal portion (23c) allows the ball (26) to be caught on a spike worn on a hand (not shown) or added to the base (9). Catching the ball (26) on a spike generally requires more exacting control than catching the ball (26) in a cup, such as cup (24), because the bore (23) must be roughly aligned with the spike.

According to the preferred embodiment, the ball (26) is colored with a paint with a matte finish with a slight amount of tackiness to it. The slight tackiness of the paint facilitates the catching of the ball (26) in the cup (24) or in the cut-aways (119) (described below for the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 6 through 9). A matte finish also allows the ball (26) to be decorated with designs drawn on the ball (26), for instance with chalk. Alternatively, players may customize their toys by drawing designs on the balls (26) with permanent marker. Furthermore, a paint with a matte finish provides the advantage of being less slippery if a player's hands become moist from sweat, thereby facilitating maneuvers where the ball (26) is caught in the hand.

According to the preferred embodiment, the string (22) is strong, resistant to fraying to as to maintain an attractive appearance, thick enough to be easily visible, and smooth and having a low coefficient of friction so as to provide minimal abrasion when sliding over the skin of a player. According to the preferred embodiment, the string (22) is made of nylon or cotton and has a length of 47 cm. Preferably, the string (22) is brightly colored, or even made of threads of a variety of bright colors, so as to be easily visible and provide an attractive appearance.

An alternative embodiment of the ring toy (8′) of the present invention is shown in FIG. 3. As with the embodiment (8) shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in this embodiment the toy (8′) has a base (9′) which includes two disc-shaped platforms (18′) and (20′). A cup (24′) is mounted on the top surface of the top platform (20′). On the bottom surface of the bottom platform (18′) is mounted a ring (15′) or, more generally, a means for mounting the toy (8′) on the hand of the user. As was shown in the top view of FIG. 2, a bolt (not visible in FIG. 3) is used to secure the cup (24′) to the platforms (18′) and (20′). As with the embodiment (8) of FIGS. 1 and 2, in this embodiment the ring (15′) has a first band (14′) of flexible material and a second band (16′) of flexible material, where the first band (14′) may be removably attached to the second band (16′) by, for instance, a Velcro®-type bonding where the first band (14′) has a surface of small, protruding fastening loops, and the second band (16′) has a surface of small, protruding fastening hooks. The bands (14′) and (16′) can be joined to create a ring of a size that fits the user and can be adjusted to provide a snug fit on the user's finger. On the surface of each band (14′) and (16′) in the regions which would be proximate the finger (12) is a cushioning layer (13′) made of a soft, breathable cushioning material to provide comfort when the toy (8) is mounted via the ring (15) on the user's finger (12). Preferably, the breathable cushioning material is leather or cloth. Attached to the outside of the outside band (16″) is a second cup (38) which is also receptically-dimensioned for catching the ball (26′). When the toy (8′) is worn on a finger of the user, the second cup (38) is located in the palm region of the user's hand. This second cup (38) allows a new type of trick maneuver to be performed. In particular, the second cup (38) allows the ball (26) to be dislodged from the first cup (24′) and, with a turn of the hand about the axis of the forearm, caught in the second cup (38). Similarly, the second cup (38) allows the performance of a trick where the ball (26) is dislodged from being seated in the second cup (38) and, with a turn of the hand about the axis of the forearm, caught in the first cup (24′). Preferably, the second cup (38) is made of a flexible, elastomeric material so that the second cup (38) can be collapsed when the hand is closed to form a fist.

With reference to FIG. 5, another alternate embodiment is shown where the two chassis platforms (18) of the embodiment of the toy (8) shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is replaced with a single chassis platform (52) and the cup (24″) is mounted on the top surface of the chassis platform (52). On the bottom surface of the chassis platform (52) is mounted a ring (15″) or, more generally, a means for mounting the toy (8″) on the hand of the user. As with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ring (15″) has a first band (14″) of flexible material and a second band (16″) of flexible material, where the first band (14″) may be removably attached to the second band (16″) by, for instance, a Velcro®-type bonding where the first band (14″) has a surface of small, protruding fastening loops, and the second band (16″) has a surface of small, protruding fastening hooks. The bands (14″) and (16″) can be removably secured together to create a ring of a size that fits a user's finger. Preferably, the bands (14″) and (15″) are rounded at their ends. In this embodiment, the ball (26″) is tethered to the chassis platform (52) by a string (22) which is tied to a throughbore (62) in the chassis platform (52) parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chassis platform (52) and near the edge of the chassis platform (52).

An alternate embodiment (100) of the finger-mountable kendama toy of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 6-9. As was also taught in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the toy (100) of FIGS. 6-9 has a ball (126) which is tethered by a string (122) to a base (130). In particular, the chassis platform (118) has a throughbore (not visible in the figures) near the edge of the chassis platform (118) and parallel to the cylindrical symmetry axis of the cup (124).

Furthermore, as also taught in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the base (130) is removeably mountable on a finger (112) of the player/operator by a ring mechanism (115), and the base (130) has a cup (124) with a concavity (125) receptically-dimensioned for the ball (126) to be caught in. The concavity (125) is preferably roughly hemispherical and has a radius of curvature slightly greater than the radius of the ball (126). Located between the ring (116) and the cup (124) is a chassis platform (118). Preferably, the cup (124) and the chassis platform (118) are integrally formed, for instance of wood (such as beech wood or maple) or injection-molded plastic.

A novel feature of the alternate embodiment of the toy (100) shown in FIGS. 6-9 is that the platform (118) has four side cut-aways (119) receptically-dimensioned for the catching and seating of the ball (126). In particular, each cut-away (119) is a concavity with a radius of curvature roughly equal to the radius of the ball (126) so that the ball (126) may be caught in a cut-away (119) as shown in FIG. 6. (The cut-aways will be referred to generically or collectively with reference numeral “119”, and a particular individual cut-away will be referred to with a reference numeral of the form “119.n”, where n is an integer between 1 and m, and m is the number of cut-aways.) When mounted on the hand (110), a first cut-away (119.1) faces towards the knuckles, a second cut-away (119.2) faces towards the pinky finger, a third cut-away (119.3) faces towards the tip of the finger (112) the toy (100) is mounted on, and a fourth cut-away (119.4) faces towards the thumb. The width of each cut-away (119) is preferably 2.5 cm. In terms of the diameter of the ball (126), the width of each cut-away (119) is preferably between 30% and 80% of the diameter of the ball (126), more preferably between 45% and 65% of the diameter of the ball (126), and still more preferably 55% of the diameter of the ball (126). These ranges facilitate the catching of the ball (126) in a cut-away (119). Furthermore, when the ball (126) is sitting in a cut-away (119), the distance of the contact point of the ball (126) on the side of the cup (124) from the plane of the cut-away (119) as a percentage of the diameter of the ball (126) is preferably between 15% and 45%, more preferably between 25% and 35%, and still more preferably between 30%.

To further facilitate the seating of the ball (126) in the cut-aways (119), on the outside of the cup (124) at points corresponding to where the ball (126) rests against the cup (124) when resting in each cut-away (119) is an indent (129) having a radius of curvature roughly equal to that of the ball (126). Each outside indent (129) has a depth of preferably between 0.5 cm and 1.2 cm, and more preferably between 0.7 cm and 0.9 cm. In terms of the diameter of the ball (126), each indent (129) has a depth of between 5% and 30% of the diameter of the ball (126), more preferably between 10% and 25% of the diameter of the ball (126), and still more preferably between 15% and 20% of the diameter of the ball (126).

The cut-aways (119) allow a number of new maneuvers to be performed. For instance, starting with the ball (126) in the cup (124), the ball (126) may to be dislodged from the cup (124) and, with a turn of the arm/hand (110), caught in any one of the cut-aways (119). Or starting with the ball (126) in one of the cut-aways (119), the ball (126) may to be dislodged from the cut-away (119) and, with a turn of the arm/hand (110), caught in the cup (124). Or starting with the ball (126) in one of the cut-aways (119), the ball (126) may to be dislodged from that first cut-away (119) and, with a turn of the arm/hand (110), caught in another one of the cut-aways (119). The particular turns of the arm required will depend on which cut-away (119) the ball (126) began in or is caught in.

For visual clarity in the figures of the present specification, the string (122) of embodiment (100) is shown in FIGS. 6-9 as being readily visible. However, according to an alternate preferred embodiment (100), the string (122) is not readily visible. According to the preferred embodiment, the string (122) is a thin fishing line with a nominal strength preferably greater than 5 lbs., more preferably greater than 8 lbs., more preferably greater than 10 lbs., more preferably greater than 12 lbs., and still more preferably greater than 15 lbs. With increasing strength comes increasing responsiveness during play. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention the string (122) is 20 lb. fishing line. This is thick enough to provide good responsiveness and allow inadvertently-produced knots to be removed, yet thin enough to not be readily visible.

The “invisibility” of the string (122) allows for a new genre of tricks and maneuvers to be performed. In particular, because the string (122) is not readily visible, the ball (126) may be palmed in the non-playing hand of the operator and spectators will not be able to determine where the ball is. The possibilities for sleight-of-hand maneuvers with this “invisible” string (122) are compounded because the ring-mount (116) of the base allows either hand of the operator to palm the ball (126). Furthermore, sleight of hand maneuvers possible include those involving moving the ball (126) to a pocket.

It should be noted that the sleight-of-hand moves made possible by the invisible string (122) of the toy of this embodiment of the present invention allow a completely new genre of trick to be performed. Kendama has become successful toy because the trick maneuvers can be impressive to behold. The possibility of sleight-of-hand maneuvers provided by this embodiment opens up myriad possibilities for a new means of impressing an audience, i.e., through mystification. Using fishing line for the string (122) also provides the advantage that the string (122) has a springiness which traditional kendama strings lack. This provides an appealing responsiveness to the tethering of the ball (126).

The ring mechanism (15) of the toy (8) of the present invention also provides the advantage that it allows Kendama-type toys with new configurations of landing structures (i.e., cups, cut-aways, and spikes) to be temporarily constructed/assembled by a player by combining the toy of the present invention with other toys, such as Kendama toys. As shown in FIG. 13A, one such temporary construction/assembly (1300) involves the attaching of the toy (8) of the present invention to the shaft (910) of the Kendama toy (900) shown in FIG. 10 and discussed in detail above. In particular, the toy (8) of the present invention is attached to the shaft (910) of the Kendama toy (900) by securing the ring mechanism (15) around the shaft (910) between the handle (928) and the cups (926) and (927). The ball (not shown) of the toy (8) of the present invention has been removed by untying it from the chassis platform (118), while the ball (926) of the Kendama toy (900) remains. It should be noted that while the Kendama toy (900) of FIG. 10 has four landing structures (i.e., the two cups (926) and (927), the spike (940), and the base of the handle (928)), and the toy (8) of the present invention has five landing structures (i.e., the cup (24) and the four cut-aways (119), the construction (1300) shown is FIG. 13A has seven landing structures (i.e., the two cups (926) and (927), spike (940), and base of the handle (928) of the Kendama toy (900), as well as the cup (24) and the two cut-aways (119) of the toy (8) of the present invention which are oriented orthogonal to the shaft (910) of the Kendama toy (900)). Increasing the number of landing structures results in an increase in the number of possible moves. Ignoring for the moment the variety of paths of the ball (24) between landing structures, the number of combinations of moves from one landing structure to another landing structure for a toy have n landing structures is n² (counting moves where the ball (24) lands in the same structure where it started). So for the toy (8) of the present invention in isolation there are 5²=25 landing structure-to-landing structure combinations. For the Kendama toy (900) in isolation there are 4²=16 landing structure-to-landing structure combinations. In comparison, the assembly (1300) shown in FIG. 13A provides 7²=49 landing structure-to-landing structure combinations. It should also be noted that in addition to providing an increased number of landing structure-to-landing structure combinations, the assembly (1300) of FIG. 13A provides new types of moves, such as a cup-to-cup transfer requiring a 45° rotation of the assembly (1300) (e.g., the transfer from cup (927) to cup (24)).

Similarly, the toy (8) of the present invention can be mounted on the Kendama toy (900) as shown in FIG. 13B to provide assembly (1301). Again, the toy (8) of the present invention is mounted on the shaft (910) of the Kendama toy (900) by securing the ring mechanism (15) around the shaft (910) between the handle (928) and the cups (926) and (927). However, in this assembly (1301) the ball (26) of the toy (8) of the present invention remains attached to the chassis platform (118), while the ball (not shown) of the Kendama toy (900) has been removed. The construction (1301) shown is FIG. 13B again has seven landing structures (i.e., the two cups (926) and (927), spike (940), and base of the handle (928) of the Kendama toy (900), as well as the cup (24) and the two cut-aways (199) of the toy (8) of the present invention which are oriented orthogonal to the shaft (910) of the Kendama toy (900)), and again the assembly (1301) provides 7²=49 landing structure-to-landing structure combinations. It should also be noted that in addition to providing an increased number of landing structure-to-landing structure combinations, the assembly (1301) of FIG. 13A again provides new types of moves, such as a cup-to-cup transfer requiring a 45° rotation of the assembly (1301) (e.g., the transfer from cup (927) to cup (24)).

Or as shown in FIG. 13C, the two-cup unit (928) of a Kendama toy can be removed from the shaft (not shown) and the toy (8) of the present invention can be mounted on the two-cup unit (928) to provide assembly (1302). In this assembly (1301) the ball (26) of the toy (8) of the present invention remains attached to the chassis platform (118), while the ball (not shown) of the Kendama toy is not present. This assembly (1302) provides new types of moves, such as a cup-to-cup-to-cup transfer requiring two 90° rotations of the assembly (1302) within the same plane (e.g., the transfer from cup (927) to cup (24) to cup (926)).

According to another preferred embodiment, the toy of the present invention has light-up components which produce a dramatic effect via the lighting of the components as well as by changes of states of the lighting to indicate when a trick is accomplished. As shown in the side cross-sectional view of the ball (420) and base (450) of FIG. 14, the top view of the ball (420) of FIG. 15, and the cut-away view of the chassis (470) of FIG. 16, the toy (400) has a chassis (470) on which a cup (451) is mounted, and to which a ball (420) is tethered by a string (472) or the like. On the bottom surface of the chassis (470) is mounted a finger ring (415) or, more generally, a means for mounting the toy (400) on the hand of the user. The ring (415) is preferably attached to the bottom of the chassis (470) by gluing or by multiple rivets (not shown). According to the preferred embodiment, the string (472) is a nylon, polyester, or cotton string with a nominal diameter of 1 mm to 2 mm.

The ring (415) has a first band (414) of flexible material and a second band (416) of flexible material, and the first band (414) is removably attachable to the second band (416) by, for instance, a Velcro®-type bonding where the first band (414) has a surface of small, protruding fastening loops, and the second band (416) has a surface of small, protruding fastening hooks. The bands (414) and (416) each have a length of 5 cm, and can be joined to create a ring of a size that fits the user and can be adjusted to provide a snug fit on the user's finger (412).

In this embodiment the ball (420), chassis (470) and cup (451) have outside walls made of a transparent plastic. As shown in FIG. 14, the ball (420) has an upper, substantially-hemispheric shell (430) and a lower, substantially-hemispheric shell (440), both of which are made of a clear plastic. The string (472) enters a throughbore (443) in the lower shell (440) and the end of the string (472) terminates at a knot (475) in a throughbore (433) in the upper shell (430). Threaded on the string (472) is a bead (477) which is secured on the string (472) by the knot (475). The width of the bottom of the throughbore (433) is less than that of the bead (477), thereby securing the ball (420) to the string (472). The upper shell (430) has four screw wells (431) located at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00 and 9:00 when the ball (420) is viewed from the top along the bore axis (499) as is shown in FIG. 15. (The screw wells will be referred to generically or collectively with reference numeral “431”, and a particular screw well will be referred to with a reference numeral of the form “119.z”, where z is a letter from a to d. A similar numbering system is also applied to other components or features in FIG. 14 which have a four-fold symmetry about the bore axis (499). Such components or features with four-fold symmetry about the bore axis (499) include the screw wells (441) in the lower shell (450), screws (425), and screw bores (455) in the circuit board (460).) Screws (425) located in the upper screw wells (431) and threaded into the lower screw wells (441) secure the upper shell (430) to the lower shell (440).

Sandwiched between the upper shell (430) and the lower shell (440) is a circuit board (449). The circuit board (449) contains control circuitry (not visible in FIG. 14) which controls the lighting of upper and lower light emitting diodes (LEDs) (451.1) and (451.2). The circuitry is powered by a battery (452). The circuit board (449) includes screw bores (455) through which the screws pass. The screw bores (455) include contacts (not visible in FIG. 14) which make electrical contact with the screws (425). The circuitry uses the screws (425) as portions of capacitors for a capacitive sensor to determine when the ball (420) is in close proximity to the cup (451) or cut-aways (485) in the chassis (470). The cut-aways (485) are dimensioned as described above to act as landing structures for the ball (420).

According to the present invention, when the ball (420) is seated in the cup (451) or the cut-aways (485), a change of state of the lighting of the LEDs (451.1) and (451.2) in the ball (420) occurs. The LEDs (451.1) and (451.2) may turn on or off upon becoming seated in the cup (451) or cut-aways (485) as per the setting of a control switch (not shown) which is on the surface of the ball (420) and therefore accessible to the player. In the case where the LEDs (451.1) and (451.2) turn on when the ball (420) becomes seated in a landing structure (451) or (485), the color of light produced by the LEDs (451.1) and (451.2) is dependent on which landing structure (451), (485a), (485b), (485c) or (485d) the ball (420) becomes seated in. For instance, seating of the ball (420) in the cup (451) may light the ball (420) green, while seating in a first cut-away (485a) may light the ball (420) red, and seating in a second cut-away (485b) may light the ball (420) blue.

The chassis (470) has a cup (451) extending from its top surface. The chassis (470) has an upper chassis piece (471) and a lower chassis piece (480) secured to the upper chassis piece (471) by four screws (482) which pass through the screw wells (481) in the lower chassis piece (480) and are threaded into the threaded screw wells (466) in the upper chassis piece (471). (The screw will be referred to generically or collectively with reference numeral “482”, and a particular screw will be referred to with a reference numeral of the form “482.z”, where z is a letter from a to d. A similar numbering system is also applied to other components or features of the base (450) which have a four-fold symmetry along the cylindrical symmetry axis (498) of the cup (451). Such components or features include the screw wells (466) in the upper chassis piece (471), the screw wells (481) in the lower chassis piece (480), and LEDs (462).)

Sandwiched between the upper chassis piece (460) and the lower chassis piece (480) is a circuit board (460). The circuit board (460) contains control circuitry (not visible in FIG. 14) which controls the lighting of light emitting diodes (LEDs) (462). The circuitry is powered by a battery (464). The circuit board (460) includes screw bores (469) through which the screws pass. The screw bores (469) include contacts (not visible in FIG. 14) which make electrical contact with the screws (482). As shown in FIG. 16, each of the four screw (482a), (482b), (482c) and (482d) is located near a cut-away (485a), (485b), (485c) and (485d), respectively, and the circuitry uses each screw (482) as a portion of a capacitor for a capacitive sensor to determine when the ball (420) is in close proximity to the associated cut-away (485). An additional LED (463) is located at the center of the circuit board (460) below the center of the cup (451) and the circuitry on the circuit board (460) includes a ring of metal (491) encircling the central LED (463) which functions as a portion of a capacitor for a capacitive sensor to determine when the ball (420) is in close proximity to the cup (451).

According to the present invention, when the ball (420) is seated in the cup (451) or a cut-away (485), a change of state of the lighting of the LEDs (462) and (463) in the base (450) (as well as the LEDs (451.1) and (451.2) in the ball (420) as described above) occurs. The LEDs (462) and (463) may turn on or off upon becoming seated in the cup (451) or cut-aways (485) as per the setting of a control switch (469) on the chassis (470). In the case where one or more LEDs (462) and (463) turn on when the ball (420) becomes seated in a landing structure (451) or (485), the color of light produced by the LEDs (462) and (463) is preferably dependent on which landing structure (451) or (485) the ball (420) becomes seated in. For instance, seating of the ball (420) in the cup (451) may light the cup (451) orange, while seating of the ball (420) in the first cut-away (485a) may light the associated LED (462a) blue, and seating of the ball (420) in the third cut-away (485c) may light the associated LED (462c) green.

It is important to note that although many toys and games, such as pinball machines, have components which light-up when a trick is accomplished, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention the toy (400) operates in the opposite fashion and the LEDs (451) in the ball (420) turn off when the ball (420) becomes seated in the cup (451) or a cut-away (485) on the chassis (450). In the dark this provides the dramatic effect of making the ball (420) disappear when a seating move is accomplished. The dramatic effect is further heightened by having one or more LEDs (462) and (463) in the cup turn on when the ball (420) is landed so that it appears that the light is transferred from one part of the toy (400) to another. According to another preferred embodiment, upon successfully completing a seating of the ball (420), the ball (420) briefly lights more intensely before having its LEDs (451) go out so that the successful landing is made visible and highlighted.

Poi is a well-known skill toy that involves each hand holding a tetherer bob—the tether being roughly a meter in length—and performing various swinging patterns with the tethered bobs. A large number of poi swinging patterns are well-known in the art. However, although there are numerous swinging patterns, poi play does not generally incorporate landings or seatings of the bobs. In contrast, a preferred embodiment of the toy according to the present invention uses a substantially larger ball and cup to facilitate landings or seatings when the arms and the balls are swung in large orbits, as is common with poi moves. According to this alternate preferred embodiment of the present invention, the toy is adapted for use of two toys simultaneously where one toy is secured to each hand and poi-style moves, kendama-style moves, and hybrid moves can be performed.

In particular, as shown in FIG. 17 this alternative preferred embodiment of the present invention is a toy (800) having a ball (826) which is larger than the ball (26) used in the embodiment of FIG. 1, and a cup (824) which is correspondingly larger than the cup (24) used in the embodiment of FIG. 1. Preferably, the ball (826) is 5.5 cm to 8 cm in diameter, more preferably 6 cm to 7.25 cm in diameter, and still more preferably 6.5 to 6.75 cm in diameter. The cup (824) is correspondingly dimensioned to have a radius of curvature equal to that of the ball (826). An important aspect of this embodiment of the toy (800) is that the cup (824) is deeper relative to the diameter of the ball (826) than traditional kendama toy cups to facilitate landing/seating moves when the arms and the balls (826) are swung in large orbits. The larger the depth of the cup (824) in relation to the diameter of the ball (826), the easier it is to catch the ball (826) in the cup (824). Preferably, the depth of the cup (824) is between 25% and 50% of the diameter of the ball (826), more preferably between 35% and 47% of the diameter of the ball (826), and still more preferably between 40% and 45% of the diameter of the ball (826).

In each toy (800) the cup (824) is mounted on a chassis (818) in a manner as described above. The ball (826), cup (824) and chassis (818) are made of beech or maple wood. The ball (826) is tethered to the chassis (818) by a string (822), chord or the like. On the bottom surface of the chassis (818) is mounted a ring mechanism (815). Because of the larger sizes of the cup (824) and ball (826), the toy (800) is heavier than the toy (8) of FIG. 1. Therefore, for comfort the straps (814) and (816) of the ring mechanism (815) are longer, so as to allow the straps (814) and (816) to encircle more fingers or the palm, and the straps (814) and (816) are broader in order to distribute the forces applied to the hands (810) over a larger area.

The straps (814) and (815) are secured to the chassis (818) by gluing or by multiple rivets. It is important that the attachment of the ring mechanism (815) to the chassis (818) extend to the edges of the chassis (818) so that the string (822) cannot lodge between the ring mechanism (815) and the bottom of the chassis (818) to disrupt play. In particular, any gap between the bottom of the chassis (818) and the top of the ring mechanism (815) must be less than the diameter of the string (822). The ring mechanism (815) is preferably made of leather or neoprene, and the bands (814) and (816) are attachable using a Velcro®-type bonding where the first band (814) has a surface of small, protruding fastening loops, and the second band (816) has a surface of small, protruding fastening hooks. Furthermore, according to the preferred embodiment the bands (814) and (816) are surfaced with a breathable material, such as leather, to provide comfort for extended periods of use. The bands (814) and (816) each have a length of 7.5 cm, this being sufficient length to allow the bands (814) and (816) to be looped around multiple fingers or the palm of the user and joined together.

The chassis (818) has four side cut-aways (819) receptically-dimensioned for the catching and seating of the ball (826). In particular, each cut-away (819) is a concavity with a radius of curvature roughly equal to the radius of the ball (826) so that the ball (826) may be caught in a cut-away (819) (as discussed above in reference to FIG. 6). (The cut-aways will be referred to generically or collectively with reference numeral “819”, and a particular individual cut-away will be referred to with a reference numeral of the form “819.n”, where n is an integer between 1 and m, and m is the number of cut-aways.) In terms of the diameter of the ball (826), the width of each cut-away (819) is preferably between 30% and 80% of the diameter of the ball (826), more preferably between 45% and 65% of the diameter of the ball (826), and still more preferably 55% of the diameter of the ball (826). These ranges facilitate the catching of the ball (826) in a cut-away (819). Furthermore, when the ball (826) is sitting in a cut-away (819), the distance of the contact point of the ball (826) on the side of the cup (824) from the plane of the cut-away (819) as a percentage of the diameter of the ball (826) is preferably between 15% and 45%, more preferably between 25% and 35%, and still more preferably between 30%. To further facilitate the seating of the ball (826) in the cut-aways (819), on the outside of the cup (824) at points corresponding to where the ball (826) rests against the cup (824) when resting in each cut-away (819) is an indent (829) having a radius of curvature roughly equal to that of the ball (826). Each outside indent (129) has a depth of preferably between 0.5 cm and 1.2 cm,

The introduction of landing/seating moves to poi play provided by this alternate embodiment of the toy (400) opens up myriad play possibilities, such as allowing for the introduction of dramatic landing moves. When performing seating/landing moves, each ball (426) can be landed in the cup (424) or the cut-aways (819) of the toy (400) to which it is tethered, or a ball (426) can be landed in the cup (424) or the cut-aways (819) of the toy (400) to which it is not tethered or, as shown in FIG. 17, each of the two balls (426) can be landed in the cup (424) or the cut-aways (819) of the toy (400) to which they are not tethered.

Thus, it will be seen that the improvements presented herein are consistent with the objects of the invention for the toy described above. While the above description contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather as exemplifications of preferred embodiments thereof. Many other variations are within the scope of the present invention. For example: the ring may take a variety of forms, such as a solid loop of wood or metal, or a pair of flexible arced prongs; the ring straps may include cushioning material to provide extra comfort for the user, and the cushioning material may be integrally-formed with the attachment material or provided as an additional layer; each of the above-described embodiments may have any of the above-described ring mechanisms; elements or component of any embodiment may be used in any other embodiment; any of the above-described embodiments may include or substitute in elements from any of the other above-described embodiments; the cup may have a concavity that is less than hemispherical; the ball may have a bore and the cup may be replaced by a spike; the cut-aways may be replaced with cups or spikes; there may be more or less cut-aways on the chassis platform; additional cups may be worn on other fingers, either on the palm side or the outside of the hand; the ball and/or the cup may include lights; the cup may be made of metal and the ball may be surfaced in a wick material so it may hold a flame; the cup may not have outside indents for any or all of the corresponding cut-aways; there may be no platform between the bottom of the cup and the ring straps; the tether may be terminated with a large diameter knot rather than a bead secured by a knot; the ball of the Kendama toy and the ball of the toy of the present invention may be used simultaneous in an assembly where the toy of the present invention is temporarily attached to the Kendama toy using the ring mechanism; the transparent walls of the light-up version may be translucent; other means may be used to detect when the ball is landed in a landing structure in a light-up version of the toy; only the ball may have a proximity detector or only the base may have a proximity detector and the component not having the proximity detector may be informed of the state of proximity by a communication means such as a radio signal; it should be understood that the ball may not be completely spherical and in fact typically will not be completely spherical; the cup or cup-shaped receptacle may not actually be functionable as a cup for holding liquids and may for instance be a cup-shaped receptacle made of wire, tines, or the like; catching the ball on a spike, in a cup, or in a cut-away may be termed catching, landing or seating of the ball; etc. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the invention be determined not by the embodiments illustrated or the physical analyses motivating the illustrated embodiments, but rather by the claims of a non-provisional patent application based on the present provisional patent application and their legal equivalents.

Claims

1. A toy comprising:

a ball;

a base having a landing structure for seating said ball;

a tether which tethers said ball to said base and allows said ball to be swung so as to land on and be seated by said landing structure, and to be swung so as to be unseated from said landing structure; and

a ring mechanism attached to said base for securing said base to a hand of a player of the toy.

2. The toy of claim 1 wherein said ball has a landing bore having a landing bore diameter, and said landing structure is a spike having a spike diameter less than said landing bore diameter.

3. The toy of claim 1 wherein said landing structure is a first cup-shaped receptacle.

4. The toy of claim 3 wherein a depth of said first cup-shaped receptacle is between 25% and 50% of a diameter of said ball.

5. The toy of claim 4 wherein said ball has a diameter between 5.5 cm and 8 cm.

6. The toy of claim 3 wherein a depth of said first cup-shaped receptacle is between 35% and 47% of a diameter of said ball.

7. The toy of claim 6 wherein said ball has a diameter between 6 cm and 7.25 cm.

8. The toy of claim 3 wherein a depth of said first cup-shaped receptacle is between 40% and 45% of a diameter of said ball.

9. The toy of claim 8 wherein said ball has a diameter between 6.5 cm and 6.75 cm.

10. The toy of claim 3 further including a base at the bottom of said first cup-shaped receptacle, said base having a first concavity for seating said ball.

11. The toy of claim 10 wherein said ball, when seated in said concavity, rests at a resting point against an outside surface of said first cup-shaped receptacle.

12. The toy of claim 11 wherein said first cup-shaped receptacle includes an indent at said resting point.

13. The toy of claim 10 wherein said base extends outwards in a base plane parallel to a rim of said first cup-shaped receptacle.

14. The toy of claim 10 wherein said base further includes a second concavity for seating said ball.

15. The toy of claim 10 wherein said ball has a first radius, said first cup-shaped receptacle has a concave interior surface with a first radius of curvature equal to said first radius, and said concavity has a second radius of curvature equal to said first radius.

16. The toy of claim 1 wherein said ball has a throughbore which includes a tether entrance section, a tether securing section, and an expanded section, said tether entering said tether entrance section, said tether being terminated with a width-increasing unit located in said expanded section, said width-increasing unit having a first width greater than a second width of said tether securing section.

17. The toy of claim 16 wherein central axes of said tether entrance section, said tether securing section, and said expanded section are collinear.

18. The toy of claim 16 wherein said width-increasing unit is a bead secured to said tether by a knot at an end of said tether.

19. The toy of claim 1 wherein said ball and said base have weights which are equal to within 25%.

20. The toy of claim 1 wherein said ball and said base have weights which are equal to within 20%.

21. The toy of claim 1 wherein said ball and said base have weights which are equal to within 15%.

22. The toy of claim 1 wherein said ball and said base have weights which are equal to within 10%.

23. The toy of claim 1 wherein said ball and said base have weights which are equal to within 5%.

24. The toy of claim 1 wherein said ring mechanism includes a first flexible strap and a second flexible strap, said first flexible strap and said second flexible strap being attached to said base, said first strap being removably securable to said second strap to form a loop.

25. The toy of claim 24 wherein said first strap has a top surface covered with fastening loops and said second strap has a bottom surface covered with fastening hooks, contact of said fastening hooks with said fastening loops providing a detachable connection of said first and second straps.

26. The toy of claim 24 wherein attachment of said first strap to said base extends to a first edge of said base, and wherein attachment of said second strap to said base extends to a second edge of said base.

27. The toy of claim 26 wherein any first gap between said first strap and said first edge of said base is less than a width of said tether, and any second gap between said second strap and said second edge of said base is less than said width of said tether.

28. The toy of claim 24 wherein said first strap has first rounded edges with a first radius greater than a radius of said tether, and said second strap has second rounded edges with a second radius greater than said radius of said tether.

29. The toy of claim 1 wherein said tether is made of a transparent material.

30. The toy of claim 29 wherein said tether is made of a material used for fishing line.

31. The toy of claim 1 further including a second cup-shaped receptacle, said second cup-shaped receptacle being attached to said ring mechanism so when said toy is worn with said first cup-shaped receptacle located on the back side of said player's hand, said second cup-shaped receptacle is located on the front side of said player's hand.

32. The toy of claim 31 wherein said second cup-shaped receptacle is made of an elastomeric material and said second cup-shaped receptacle can be collapsed within said player's palm when said player's hand closes.

33. The toy of claim 1 further including an auxiliary unit having an auxiliary landing structure, and wherein said ring mechanism removably secures the toy to said auxiliary unit so said ball may be seated and unseated from said auxiliary landing structure and from said landing structure.

34. The toy of claim 1 further including an auxiliary toy having an auxiliary ball, having an auxiliary base having an auxiliary landing structure for seating said auxiliary ball, and having an auxiliary tether which tethers said auxiliary ball to said auxiliary base and allows said auxiliary ball to swung and seated and unseated on said auxiliary landing structure, wherein said tether and said ball are removable from said base, and wherein said ring mechanism removably secures the toy to said auxiliary toy so said auxiliary ball may be seated and unseated on said landing structure.

35. The toy of claim 1 further including a first light emitter, first light control circuitry, and a first proximity detector for detecting seating of said ball on said landing structure, a first state of said first light emitter being changed to a second state by said first light control circuitry upon said seating of said ball on said landing structure.

36. The toy of claim 35 wherein said first state is a light-emitting state and said second state is an increase in brightness in comparison to said first state.

37. The toy of claim 35 further including a second light emitter, second light control circuitry, and a second proximity detector for detecting seating of said ball on said landing structure, said first light emitter, said first light control circuitry, and said first proximity detector being located in said ball, said second light emitter, said second light control circuitry, and said second proximity detector being located in said base, a third state of said second light emitter being changed to a fourth state by said second light control circuitry upon said seating of said ball on said landing structure.

38. The toy of claim 37 wherein said first state and said fourth state are light-emitting states, and said second state and said third state are non-light-emitting states.

39. The toy of claim 37 wherein said base further includes a second landing structure, said second landing structure including a third light emitter, third light control circuitry, and a third proximity detector for detecting seating of said ball on said second landing structure, a fifth state of said third light emitter being changed to a sixth state by said third light control circuitry upon said seating of said ball on said second landing structure.

40. The toy of claim 35 wherein said first proximity detector uses a structural screw in a capacitive proximity detector.